Potential Swine Flu Outbreak On U.S.-Mexico Border

At least three people have died while infected with the H1N1 flu virus, also known as Swine Flu in El Paso, Texas, and Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, officials announced. Information regarding one of the patients, a 76-year-old male, indicates that the virus was a secondary factor in his death in February; he had several health problems already. Fernando Gonzalez, an epidemiologist for El Paso Department of Health, stressed there is no reason for alarm, while at the same time assuring people that the authorities are taking this investigation seriously. Two confirmed deaths in Cuidad Juarez involve a male traffic cop and a 30- to 35-year-old female. Health officials in Cuidad Juarez informed that two of its citizens have died, while others have become infected with flu-like symptoms in what they suspect is H1N1. A number of police officers in Cuidad Juarez have come down with flu-like illnesses.